Does a guitar body need to be made from wood?

Rocker

The neck definitely but could the body be something else?  I know that a Plexiglass bodied guitar was offered by Dan Armstrong in the past.  What about a metal body?  Maybe hollowed out to reduce weight.

Any thoughts on this or is it a non runner.....

Deijavoo

Absolutely. Look up Electrical Guitar Company. Awesome kit

jd0272

Deijavoo said:

Absolutely. Look up Electrical Guitar Company. Awesome kit

Indeed. Credit card....

Deijavoo

http://www.electricalguitarcompany.com/

WezV

here is a company offering resoglass bodies too - although they do have a wood core

http://www.guitarkitsusa.com/

neither bodies or necks need to be made from wood.  Aluminium, carbon, plastic(s), hemps and resins have all been used and work.   How well they work is up for debate but there are good examples of most of those materials being used

Its easier building from wood, and wood has the properties you want. 

jd0272

WezV said:

here is a company offering resoglass bodies too - although they do have a wood core

http://www.guitarkitsusa.com/

neither bodies or necks need to be made from wood.  Aluminium, carbon, plastic(s), hemps and resins have all been used and work.   How well they work is up for debate but there are good examples of most of those materials being used

Its easier building from wood, and wood has the properties you want. 

Yeah, agreed. But rusty metal's cool. That's important when yer 42 matey.  

ICBM

No, and neither does the neck.

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/74/87/52868774/photos/ned-steinberger-guitar-enlarged.jpg

jd0272

ICBM said:

No, and neither does the neck.

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/74/87/52868774/photos/ned-steinberger-guitar-enlarged.jpg

But it looks bloody awful. I admit Reeves Gabrels put one to good use, but yak. On a purely professional level, you understand.

mart

How have these not been mentioned yet:

http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/features/50-guitars-to-play/james-trussart-rusty-holey-steelcaster-630-80.jpg

GSPBASSES

          

        

      http://www.gusguitars.com/news.php?news_id=31

ICBM

jd0272 said:

But it looks bloody awful. I admit Reeves Gabrels put one to good use, but yak. On a purely professional level, you understand.

I never said I liked them .

Gabrels also plays a Parker Fly and I can't stand those either.

In fact I have to admit that I haven't liked any guitar I've ever played that was not made from wood, but it doesn't mean they can't be, or that it might not be possible to make something nice that isn't...

ThePrettyDamned

GSPBASSES;387738" said:

          



        







      http://www.gusguitars.com/news.php?news_id=31

Wow!

jd0272

ICBM;387763" said:

jd0272 said:



But it looks bloody awful. I admit Reeves Gabrels put one to good use, but yak. On a purely professional level, you understand.





I never said I liked them .

Gabrels also plays a Parker Fly and I can't stand those either.

In fact I have to admit that I haven't liked any guitar I've ever played that was not made from wood, but it doesn't mean they can't be, or that it might not be possible to make something nice that isn't...

Indeed. I'm bit of a traditionalist, but excited by new stuff. Trouble is all the groundbreaking stuff tends to look shit.

viz

Steve Vai

benvall

Check out travis bean guitars, metal neck with wooden fretboard though.

ICBM

jd0272 said:

I'm bit of a traditionalist, but excited by new stuff. Trouble is all the groundbreaking stuff tends to look sound shit.

Corrected .

I'm actually a non-traditionalist who is constantly frustrated that the new stuff just doesn't sound as good as the old stuff when the novelty wears off.

I want to be a sort of futuristic Mike Oldfield with a guitar made from non-wood materials going through a digital sound processor into a full-range PA system, but every time I try something even close to that I end up hating the sound of it.

In reality I'm happier being a sort of backwards Neil Young with an old wooden guitar, a fuzz pedal and a big amp with glowing things in the back of it.

RichValentine

http://www.status-graphite.com/status/frames/index_home.html

Quite like their guitars. They make excellent basses.

imalone

A few people have done this over the years: http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/stratocaster-discussion-forum/178371-concrete-guitar.html

Evilmags

TBH all of the really groundbreaking stuff seems to be getting done offboard, like AxeFX and Kempler. Travis Bean guitars were awful if the one I played is anything to go buy. Collings 335 alikes on the other hand....

LittleBlue

The XOX Handle. Body and neck carbon fibre. Crazy but plays wonderfully. Once saw one at a guitar show a few years back: http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/parkerska/imagejpg1-1.jpg http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/parkerska/imagejpg1-2.jpg

jd0272

LittleBlue;389386" said:

The XOX Handle. Body and neck carbon fibre. Crazy but plays wonderfully. Once saw one at a guitar show a few years back:



http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/parkerska/imagejpg1-1.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn53/parkerska/imagejpg1-2.jpg

There's the thing, plays great, looks bloody awful!

The guitarist's dilemma.